1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pipe supports used in construction and, more particularly, to a support for a shower head water supply pipe.
2. Description of Related Art
In the construction of homes and offices that include shower facilities, various attempts have been made to shortcut the positioning and securement of tub and shower piping within the wall of the building. In the past, measurements were taken between upstanding wall studs, a board was then cut and nailed into place. It was then drilled with holes to provide for the insertion of the desired pipes.
The above procedure is obviously time-consuming, costly and burdensome. As such, various attempts have been made to streamline this process. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,437, a metal brace is nailed to spaced-apart wall studs. The brace is provided with U-bolts and large washers so that bathtub water supply piping can be held securely to the bracket by the U-bolts. The bracket has spaced-apart cross pieces allowing the U-bolts to slide axially for accommodating different types of faucets.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,661,483 accomplishes a similar purpose by utilizing L-shaped brackets nailed to the sides of upstanding wall studs. The brackets include upper and lower channel members for engaging a plate through which pipe sleeves extend. The sleeves include set screws for securing faucet pipes that extend therethrough.
To provide a bracket that can be adjusted transversely of the wall, U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,217 shows the use of slotted L-shaped brackets. The brackets are attached to spaced-apart wall studs and to a cross piece that holds the faucet pipes. In this way, the faucets can be moved inwardly or outwardly relative to the wall of the bathroom.
Upon considering each of the above pipe brackets, it is clear that they each entail as much time for fitment and installation as would be entailed if one simply cut a piece of wood and drilled holes through it. As such, the prior art has provided very little real savings in construction time and cost.